My articles for FE Trustnet
All my work at FE Trustnet (www.trustnet.com) since 23 November 2016.
I am a financial journalist and have written for a number of trade and consumer titles.
I have held full-time positions at: FE Trustnet, HFM Technology, MENA Fund Manager, HFMWeek, Money Marketing, Fund Strategy/Fundweb.co.uk, What Investment, Investment Adviser, FTAdviser.com, Insurance Insider and Niche Personal Loans.
I have also written for Financial Times and contributed articles to The Times, The Sunday Times, Zawya and Index Trader magazine.
All my work at FE Trustnet (www.trustnet.com) since 23 November 2016.
2017
Emerging markets have enjoyed a surge of interest in recent years, offering investors exposure to greater levels of growth. However, despite the strong returns on offer, some remain nervous about the strength of currencies, particularly as the US Federal Reserve adopts a more aggressive rate-hiking regime.
2016
Items such as corporate culture, diversity, talent and brand reputation are difficult to value, but may play a key role in a company's success. Investment in such intangibles, therefore, may be difficult for chief financial officers to recommend to the board when there is no obvious return on investment.
Unblyined piece on family offices in the Middle East and South-East Asia.
Compared with the relative stability of recent years, the past few months have been a challenging time for the British pound. The outcome of the UK's referendum on continued European Union membership has seen confidence in the currency slide as uncertainty has built over the future of the British economy.
With pressure on sterling and UK economy facing continued uncertainty in the wake of the Brexit vote, managing company liquidity is more important than ever
Low-yield markets have made it difficult for insurers to generate reliable returns from their investment portfolios and increased pressure to ensure they have the right asset management strategy in place
Outsourcing is no longer the preserve of big corporations as smaller companies and startups see advantages in outsourcing in house functions
New laws in Abu Dhabi will make property investment in the emirate easier for investors: Is there demand? New laws in Abu Dhabi will make property investment in the emirate easier for investors: Is there demand? Construction is a key sector for the UAE economy.
Pensions may not have been at the front of many people's minds when entering the polling booths on June 23, but the Brexit referendum result is likely to have a lasting impact on pension schemes for years to come. The immediate aftermath saw sterling plunge and markets fall, taking a toll on investors' savings.
A slowdown in British and European growth could weigh on Middle East & African economies
After emerging as the best performing markets in 2015, Mena Fund Manager looks at the opportunities and challenges for asset managers in the Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine The Levant was the best performing part of the Mena region in 2015.
European lenders remain cautious in doing business with Iran
With global markets taking a battering, how have the frontier markets in the region fared?
Home to a growing Islamic banking sector and a healthy asset management community, MenaFM takes a closer look at the latest developments in Bahrain With one of the oldest established mutual fund industries in the region, the Bahraini asset management sector has continued to thrive in recent years.
While new launches have tapered off, interest in the hedge funds remains constant.
The Abu Dhabi Global Market plans to attract new firms.
Sukuk issuance during 2015 had been tipped to reach at least USD100bn but set against a challenging market backdrop.
Qatar has emerged as one of the region's strongest economies over the past year, as it benefits from a more diversified economy and high infrastructure spending.
2015
Research from the Institute of International Finance has shown emerging markets face dwindling inflows as investors move money into safe havens Concerns over the growth of China and the impact on other emerging markets have caused a crisis in confidence among global investors, who have increasingly taken their money elsewhere in search of safety.
The Turkish economy has faced a number of headwinds during 2015, Mena Fund Manager looks at the health of the Turkish market and asset management industry. After an impressive 2014, in which it was one of the region's best performers, the Turkish market has struggled this year.
Eyebrows were raised when Saudi Arabia tapped up the debt markets earlier this year, Mena Fund Manager looks at what it means for the market When the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency ( SAMA ) announced it would issue $4bn worth of bonds to domestic banks, it marked the central bank's first return to debt markets for eight years.
With a number of external challenges, Mena Fund Manager looks at some of the main issues facing the Omani economy and asset management sector GCC countries have been unable to escape the impact of lower oil prices over the past year.
2014
With sukuk issuance likely to be sharply down on 2014, Mena Fund Manager looks at what trends have been emerging during the first half of the year
Since the onset of the financial crisis, the Coalition Government has made export growth a priority in helping the UK recover from one of the worst economic disasters to hit the economy in living memory.
With attention often focused on the fast growing economies in the rest of the region, Mena Fund Manager looks at the investment environment for Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia
By Rob Langston As the Levant continues to face external challenges with the war in Syria ongoing, Mena Fund Manager looks at some of the challenges faced by local asset managers in Jordan, Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories The Levant has faced a number of challenges in recent years.
The recent drop off in oil prices poses a threat to many of the region's economic plans, yet it could also signal a buying opportunity for opportunistic investors
By Rob Langston Swelled by oil revenues the region's sovereign wealth funds remain among the biggest players in the asset management sector despite the recent drop off in oil prices. Mena Fund Manager looks at current trends among the state-owned funds The sovereign wealth fund (SWF) sector has continued to grow in recent years.
In a post-crisis investment environment where returns have become more difficult to come by, investors have been forced to look towards alternative ways of generating income. Traditionally associated with hedge funds and specialist firms, high-frequency trading (HFT) has caught the imagination of wider audiences.
Benchmarking has become even more important for managers more recently, following a year of mixed performance for markets during 2014 and the ongoing effect of weaker oil prices
Companies are increasingly being urged to adopt integrated reporting, identifying business risks as well as opportunities, writes Rob Langston
Impact investing in social enterprise has taken centre stage in the sustainable and responsible investment arena in recent years. Governments, investors and charities have worked towards establishing a more effective regime to facilitate investment in what has been a huge growth area.
2013
With major efforts by the Egyptian government to kickstart investment in the country, Mena Fund Manager asks whether there is a place for the local asset management industry to take part and how it has fared more recently
With financial services playing an important part in the daily lives of the general public, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity often draws a wider audience than just those with a vested interest in the sector. Although the big bank mergers witnessed after the financial crisis are unlikely to be repeated, there is still plenty of activity in the sector.
UAE's asset management industry has continued to grow in recent years, with regulatory developments and a new financial free zone to launch in Abu Dhabi later this year. Mena Fund Manager looks at some of the issues facing managers
With a number of countries in the region vying to be the centre of asset management in the Gulf, Mena Fund Manager examines the credentials of Bahrain
Asian markets are continuing to outshine their Western counterparts as the global economic slowdown shows little sign of relenting. Despite indications of a slowing in GDP growth, China is still outpacing developed nations and achieved 7.8 per cent growth during the second quarter of 2012, outstripping anaemic growth in the developed market economies.
With allocators complaining of a shortage of high quality Mena hedge fund managers, Rob Langston asks what challenges there are for specialists in the region
2012
Politicians have been keen to emphasise the importance of entrepreneurs and their role in helping the UK economy bounce back, but as a new wave of business people improve the wealth of the country, who will look after their money?
The internet has revolutionised the way consumers engage with retailers over the past decade. Indeed, the rise in e-commerce has ensured that even the most stalwart of high street retailers have not been safe from changing consumer trends.
Much of the leg work involved in global expansion and international growth is now being done by corporate treasury departments. In its 2015 Global Corporate Treasury Survey, professional services firm Deloitte found that more than 70 per cent of corporate treasurers saw enhanced governance and control over domestic and overseas operations as an important part of their role.
The 2008 crisis has prompted governments around the world to tighten regulation not just of banks and financial institutions, but of a wide range of sectors, increasing the compliance burden for all kinds of businesses. There are those who believe that the amount of red tape should be cut.
Apple's launch of its smart watch made it the latest tech giant to enter the wearable technology space. But unlike the California blue-chip technology giant, not everybody has access to billions of dollars in cash reserves. For startups, funding can be difficult to come by with many not knowing where to turn for much-needed capital.
Venezuela lays claim to the largest proven oil reserves in the world. President Hugo Chavez claimed his country has 297 billion barrels, surpassing the previous long-term world leader Saudi Arabia. After Venezuela, Brazil has the second largest proven oil reserves in Latin America with just under 14 billion barrels.
Expansion overseas has become increasingly important for British companies in recent years as low growth and global economic uncertainty weighs heavily on consumer sentiment, and dampens the UK economy's recovery. It has become a political point too, as Chancellor George Osborne has called for greater exports to fast-growing, emerging market economies that have continued to grow.
For most, the passing of 2013 will not have had much significance, but for those who use a financial adviser there will have been big changes. The retail distribution review (RDR) came into effect at the turn of the year, after years of preparation, bringing in higher qualification standards for financial advisers and a ban on commission for investment products.
Oil prices have continued to drop in 2015, prompting economists to cut their outlooks for the region. With investors looking for safe havens, Mena Fund Manager looks at the issues facing fixed income managers
The ethical and socially responsible investing (SRI) fund space has gathered impetus in recent years with a number of launches.
2011
2010
While the emerging markets story is now well documented, investors may want to consider some additional exposure to Africa
2009
2008